Unit of competency details

Descriptor 

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to work ethically and give appropriate regard to the social, cultural, political and religious contexts in which a development or humanitarian assistance initiative is operating in the field

Application 

This unit may be applied in a range of development and/or humanitarian assistance contexts and should reflect the concepts and principles of aid effectiveness and community development (i.e. ownership, alignment, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability) as embodied in the Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action (AAA)

These skills and knowledge are to be applied within the scope of the person's role and authority

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Work effectively in a development and/or humanitarian assistance context

1.1 Identify and apply concepts and principles of aid effectiveness and community development  in relation to specific work being undertaken

1.2 Apply correct understanding of the goals and objectives of the organisation and/or development and/or assistance program

1.3 Address relevant organisation and/or program requirements in all development and/or humanitarian assistance work undertaken

1.4 Assess own standards and values continually and critically to ensure that they are consistent with those of the organisation being represented or program being implemented

1.5 Identify and comply with relevant duty of care and legal responsibilities in all work undertaken

1.6 Develop and maintain networks and work relationships in a manner that supports the goals and objectives of relevant organisation and/or program

1.7 Work in a professional manner and ensure own actions support and do not undermine local staff, community and partners

1.8 Recognise and work within scope of own work role and respond effectively to constraints and need to refer appropriately

2. Communicate effectively in a development and/or humanitarian assistance context

2.1 Develop, review and revise personal skills in communication as an ongoing priority to address work role requirements

2.2 Exercise caution and sensitivity in communicating personal information by oral and written means to address privacy and confidentiality requirements

2.3 Routinely apply workplace protocols and procedures in all workplace communication to support accuracy and understanding of information provided and received

2.4 Recognise individual and cultural differences of stakeholders including differences related to disadvantage and/or disability and take these into account in communication

2.5 Make any adjustments in communication needed to facilitate the achievement of identified outcomes and maintain an open and inclusive approach

2.6 Conduct interpersonal communication in a manner that enhances a community-centred approach consistent with development and/or humanitarian assistance work role requirements

2.7 Take appropriate measures to resolve conflict and interpersonal differences

2.8 Exercise caution in using body language which might not be appropriate to local culture and customs

2.9 Ensure behaviour outside business environment reflects and supports the profile and objectives of the organisation and/or program as required to avoid misinterpretation from local community

2.10 Provide constructive feedback to others who demonstrate inappropriate cultural behaviour

3. Apply ethical standards and cultural sensitivity in a field environment

3.1 Identify the range of ethical  and culturally sensitive concepts relevant to field environments 

3.2 Identify and adhere to relevant international code of conduct 

3.3 Identify and apply relevant international standards and conventions  on ethical and culturally sensitive issues  in a field environment

3.4 Identify ethical and culturally sensitive issues in specific field environment

3.5 Follow ethical guidelines in decision making in all work undertaken with an awareness of potential ethical complexity in own work role

3.6 Maintain awareness of the implications  of ethical and culturally sensitive issues and model ethical values and cultural sensitivity in interactions with external parties 

4. Address ethical and culturally sensitive issues in programs and projects

4.1 Address ethical issues appropriately within the context of a particular program or project in the field

4.2 Contribute to and/or review program design in line with own role to ensure ethical and culturally sensitive issues are appropriately addressed

4.3 Address culturally sensitive issues appropriately within the context of a particular program or project in the field, within the operational constraints imposed by the field environment

4.4 Monitor and review program or project  to ensure ethical and culturally sensitive issues are appropriately addressed

4.5 Ensure key stakeholders are made aware of the implications of ethical issues and culturally insensitive behaviour 

5. Function effectively under stressful conditions

5.1 Be calm and steady in the face of stressful and unfamiliar situations

5.2 Accept and respond objectively to constraints, frustrations and negative behaviour from others

5.3 Adjust to rush situations and multiple conflicting priorities by synthesising information quickly and turning it into actions

5.4 Maintain self-discipline under stress and remain focussed on ensuring the most important tasks are done

5.5 Maintain clarity of thinking under pressure to analyse situations and find solutions for problems, disaggregating complicated problems into components to resolve one at a time

5.6 Use effective decision making processes under pressure, demonstrating appropriate flexibility to address changing situations

5.7 Keep track of and communicate decisions under pressure and keep commitments on agreed actions

5.8 Keep written documentation as required to support decision making in the field

5.9 Make effective connections with people and ensure understanding of concepts, giving feedback constructively as actions proceed

6. Undertake operational decision making in a field environment

6.1 Explore the facts of each situation and determine possible options within the available timeframe

6.2 Make operational decisions in line with situational requirements and own work function

6.3 Consult with community representatives to ensure decision making reflects community participation

6.4 Make discretionary decisions in new situations where specific guidelines, policy and accepted practices do not dictate specific action

6.5 Make appropriate choices in relation to difficult decisions, with awareness of the broader implications of these decisions for the community and other stakeholders

6.6 Consciously follow through on a course of action to implement decisions within a reasonable timeframe

6.7 Ensure decisions are clearly communicated to relevant people within an appropriate timeframe

7. Reflect on own work practice in a field environment

7.1 Monitor and prioritise personal work goals in accordance with organisation and/or program requirements and personal capabilities

7.2 Undertake self-evaluation in conjunction with supervisors and/or peers

7.3 Develop awareness of own values, motivation and emotional triggers, especially in relation to the impact of work being undertaken

7.4 Provide and receive open and evaluative constructive feedback to and from co-workers

7.5 Actively seek constructive feedback relevant to work role and accept it non-defensively

7.6 Evaluate and amend own work practices as appropriate to reflect performance feedback and continuous improvement initiatives

7.7 Actively continue to strengthen own knowledge and skills to optimise work performance

7.8 Actively address personal behaviour that may compromise the safety of team members or jeopardise the mission/program

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge :

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes:

• Values, principles and ethics underpinning work in the sector, including the Paris Declaration and Accra Principles
• International conventions and legal obligations and responsibilities arising from them
• Core values and standards of behaviour expected of workers in the development and humanitarian work context
• Legal and ethical responsibilities, including occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental regulations, equal employment and anti-discrimination requirements as well as responsibilities in the field context
• Principles of 'Do No Harm'
• Cultural and country context of specific field projects and some knowledge of local language/s
• Awareness of a range of cultures and peoples and of cultural and political insensitivity as an issue for communities and programs
• Donor priorities and requirements in relation to worker behaviour
• Partner country's national development strategies, institutions and procedures
• Basic understanding of the country's politic and power structure
• Broad knowledge of theoretical thinking and topical issues related to humanitarian relief and development
• Broad knowledge of the general project cycle, including situation analysis, design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reflection
• Relief to development transition issues
• Relevant policies and procedures relating to issues such as:

• ACFID's Code of Conduct and Effectiveness Framework
• Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Development for All (Disability) Strategy and Child Protection Policy
• access and equity in commodities distribution, project interventions and in recruiting and employment
• cash management
• design, monitoring and evaluation standards
• document storage and security
• environmental management
• ethical behaviour
• financial standards, cash management and donor relations
• handling stakeholder complaints

continued  ...

Essential knowledge  (contd ):

• Relevant policies and procedures relating to issues such as (contd):

• issues of gender and for stakeholders with special needs and disadvantages, such as refugees, internally displaced people, children, the elderly, widowed and people with disabilities
• personal security and safety
• positive discrimination
• reporting standards
• representing an organisation and using specific protocols, templates and software
• service standards

• Awareness of agency guidelines, such as:

• AusAID
• U.S. Agency for International Development Field Operational Guide (USAID FOG) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• other relevant agencies

• The Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Relief (The Sphere standards)

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify ethical issues, concepts and standards relevant to field environments
• Effectively demonstrate ethical standards and practices in the workplace and in interactions with others
• Effectively communicate with and work safely with others in the work area, and access organisation and/or program support systems when necessary
• Comply with relevant policies, procedures and requirements on OHS, staff welfare, security and related issues

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include the ability to:

• Use appropriate communication and interpersonal techniques with colleagues and others
• Work as part of a team environment to complete tasks
• Identify and clearly define problems and demonstrate appropriate response procedures
• Initiate new ideas or work methodologies
• Accurately plan and organise work activities
• Efficiently manage own responsibilities and timelines for completion of work
• Demonstrate personal management, including initiative, self motivation and direction
• Retain clear sense of personal values and ethics in ambiguous or stressful situations
• Identify areas for personal improvement or training in self and others
• Make situational assessments

continued  ...

Essential skills  (contd ):

• Demonstrate ethical handling of service delivery issues
• Work with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, showing sensitivity to cultural and political differences, including:

• awareness and understanding of cultural differences and issues associated with disadvantage and disability
• ability to express that awareness and understanding clearly and concisely
• ability to build rapport with others, including participants, community leaders, donors, government representatives and other organisations involved in development assistance work
• use basic strategies to overcome language barriers (fluency in more than one language would be a major asset)
• no political bias in own conduct
• ability to use culturally appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication

• Use emotional state control
• Cope with stressful work environment
• Demonstrate adaptability and the ability to deal with ambiguous situations
• Use communications equipment, including telephone, radio, satellite phone, fax and email
• Use computing equipment and common software programs
• Use administration and routine office procedures
• Select and use appropriate technology
• Apply skills in:

• accessing relevant records and information sources
• adapting to different environments and responding effectively to challenges
• basic financial management
• capacity building
• communicating effectively with a wide range of different audiences
• interviewing and recording
• networking
• report writing
• setting priorities
• undertaking new tasks
• working safely and encouraging a safe workplace
• language, literacy and numeracy skills such as those required to:
• collect, analyse and organise data
• communicate in spoken and written form with a range of audiences
• adjust spoken and written language to suit audience
• prepare or customise materials
• calculate and estimate times, costs and quantities

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency :

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• The application of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace
• Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints
• Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
• The circumstantial or unsolicited testimony of project participants, governments or other non-government organisations regarding ethical behaviour should be considered as significant evidence in relation to this unit

Access and equity considerations :

• All workers in development and humanitarian assistance should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
• In particular workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues facing the people and culture in which they are working
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues relating to the culture in which they are working

Context of and specific resources for assessment :

• This unit may be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other related units of competency is encouraged
• Assessment of essential underpinning knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context
• Resources required for assessment include access to:

• workplace location or simulated workplace
• specifications and work instructions
• policy manuals and procedure manuals (international and local, including sector specific manuals)
• relevant documents (such as project documents, trip reports, staff assessments, memos, leave records and performance reviews)
• relevant equipment (such as vehicles, office equipment and communications equipment)
• managers, co-workers and other staff

Method of assessment :

• Assessment needs to take into consideration the practical difficulties associated with attempting on-job assessment in the field
• Given the nature of this unit, candidates should be expected to present evidence from within a real field environment
• If this is not possible, demonstration of some performance criteria in this unit may be achieved through observing the behaviour and responses of the candidate under a stressful situation similar to those likely to be encountered in the field
• While it is unethical and inappropriate to place a candidate in real danger, a life-like simulation may provide the best opportunity to observe 'near-real' responses
• Underpinning knowledge may be assessed through:

• written assignments
• project reports
• debriefings
• action learning projects

• Assessment should be supported by supplementary evidence from a wide range of sources, preferably including evidence from one or more field situations

RANGE STATEMENT 

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Concepts and principles of aid effectiveness and community development include :

• Ownership, including:

• using delivery processes that support partner countries to exercise effective leadership over their development policies and strategies
• coordinating development actions
• involving communities and local government in decision making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
• encouraging community's and local government's contribution to problem solving

• Alignment, involving maintaining a comprehensive understanding of partner countries' national development strategies, institutions and procedures to guide program delivery
• Harmonisation:

• actively seeking to collaborate with other Official Development Assistance (ODA) partners to create added value and greater development effectiveness

• Managing for results, including continuous improvement of systems to:

• manage for development results
• support evidence-based decision making

• Mutual accountability, involving demonstration of:

• full transparency and accountability for the use of development resources in program delivery

Ethical concepts relevant to field environments may include :

• The right to life with dignity
• The distinction between combatants and non-combatants
• The principle of non-refoulment
• No sectarian discrimination in providing field assistance
• Non-partisanship

Culturally sensitive concepts relevant to a field situation may be very complex and include issues such as :

• Social issues
• Gender relations
• Cultural relationships
• Religious beliefs
• Cultural practices
• Political issues and sensitivities

Relevant international code of conduct may include , for example :

• ACFID Code of Conduct and Effectiveness Framework
• Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief
• People In Aid Code of Good Practice
• International Code of Conduct on the Human Right to Adequate Food

International standards and conventions may include :

• African Charter on Human and People's Rights
• American Convention on Human Rights (1969)
• Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984)
• Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979)
• Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (1965)
• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)
• Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
• Convention on the Status of Refugees (1951) and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (1976)
• Convention on the Status of Refugees (1994)
• European Convention on Human Rights (1950)
• Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998)
• Humanitarian Accountability Partnership - International (HAP-International)
• Hyogo Framework for Action (2005)
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
• People in Aid
• Principles of Aid effectiveness as embodied in the Paris Declaration (2005) and Accra principles (2008)
• The four Geneva Covenants of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977
• The Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Relief (The Sphere standards) organisation policy and procedure documents
• The Oxfam Gender handbook (which while not a formal standard or convention is clearly a well respected benchmark for many organisations)
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

Culturally sensitive issues refer to :

• Many ways in which cultures vary
• While very different cultures present obvious challenges to those moving into them, cultures which, on the surface, appear to be more closely related can also be challenging because the differences are more subtle
• Culturally sensitive issues may include:

• clothing preferences
• cultural imperialism
• decision making processes
• directness in conversation (or not
• disadvantage and disability
• evangelism or proselytism
• food and drink preferences
• form of government
• gender of interviewed
• gender of interviewer
• gifts
• greetings
• identification (with self, family, community, religion, cultural or ethnic group and country)
• introductions
• non verbal communication such as facial expression, gestures, eye contact and personal space
• options for expressing disagreement or disapproval
• preferences relating to positions offered to women or elders
• requirement of single or multiple gender team
• role of political parties
• role of religious authorities
• role of royal family or traditional rulers
• role of the military
• sensitive topics for conversations

Implications may include :

• Misunderstanding and conflict
• Real and important needs of target community may not be addressed
• Image and reputation of the organisation may be affected
• Program procedures may be less efficient and effective
• Lack of participation of affected communities

External parties may include :

• Host governments
• Donor agencies
• Project participants
• Other non-government organisations

Monitor and review program or project may include :

• How identified ethical issues are considered and incorporated in the program design
  For instance, in designing a project in a conflict environment, considering if provision of aid will:

• have a positive effect on the conflict (i.e. help people to stop fighting)
• add to the conflict (i.e. increase competition and mistrust)

• How identified culturally sensitive issues are considered and incorporated in the program design
  For instance, in designing a program efforts are made to ensure that:

• the program assists the affected people without political, religious or gender discrimination
• programs are carried out in a way that uses and enhances local knowledge and skills

• Program goal and purpose
• Program outputs
• Project activities
• Implementation plan and schedule,
• Program inputs or resources required
• Program impacts
• Management of risks
• Constraints and assumptions
• Program sustainability
• Management structure and staffing requirements
• Addressing principles of development and/or aid effectiveness
• Financial management and use of resources

Culturally insensitive behaviour may refer to :

• Inability to be aware of, understand and show respect for cultural values, practices and differences, views, norms and religious beliefs